Of Romance & Philosophy

evolution

2012-01-15T00:12:00.001+08:00

When we stop and think about what the evolution worldview is doing, it is really simple.
They are arranging fossils in an order that makes them look like a sequence.
That is no different than if I line up a series of rings from small to large to say that one evolved from the other.
I can come up with all kinds of reasons to support my theory too! I can reason that based on shape, color, size, even chemical makeup, all of which would make sense if I already believe that one evolved from the other.
I would be looking for proof to support my theory instead of looking at facts and drawing conclusions.
In an evolutionist’s mind, evolution is already true—not because the evidence supports it, but because it is what they want to believe.

2012-01-07T10:40:00.001+08:00

Secret of Howard Schultz success, his four principles: "Don't be threatened by people smarter than you. Compromise anything but your core values. Seek to renew yourself even when you are hitting home runs. And everything matters."

2011-12-29T09:21:00.004+08:00

三個解決所有問題的方法：接受它、改變它、放下它。不能

接受，就改變；不能改變，那就放下吧。

Translation: three solutions for every problem; accept it, change it, leave it. If you can't accept it, try changing it, if you can't change it, leave it.

2011-12-17T03:58:00.002+08:00

他和她已经分手两年了，两年来他每天下班习惯性地打开她的博客，看看她一天的心情。她有时候高兴，有时候悲伤，有时候失落，他只是静静地注视着，不做一点评论，甚至删掉了自己的浏览记录。直到有一天她博客上挂满了她的婚纱照，下面有一行小字：“我嫁人了，不等你了，不更新了。”

Of sleep and dreams

2011-12-10T10:06:00.000+08:00

Sleep is that which cuts into your active life. And dreams are that which cut into your passive sleep. Both are said to be necessary, but most people would rather do without them. Most, I said, but not all.
Some people love to sleep, just as some people love to dream. Strangely enough, some people love doing both. Well, what can we say? If they love it, they love it. Their waking life might not be that interesting, so they'd rather sleep. Or it may just be that they are plain sleepy.And then dreaming may be preferable to waking life for many, just so long as the dreams don't turn into nightmares of course. Can you imagine going off to sleep expecting to have sweet dreams, and getting stuck in a nightmare? I suppose it's a risk you have to take if you want to dream.

It's almost like waking life, come to think of it. You set out to live your life expecting it to be a dream, and it turns out to be a nightmare. So it seems waking life and sleep are both risky propositions. Both can be a dream, and both can turn into nightmares.Here's the deal, then. If your waking life is a mess, that is, a nightmare, you can go off to sleep, and hope to have dreams that will relieve your waking nightmare. On the other hand, if you're having nightmares in your sleep, you can wake up, and end the torture.

But, no. It's not as easy as it sounds. If your life is a nightmare, even sleep escapes you. You'll lie awake in bed, dwelling on your nightmare life. And if you're having a nightmare in your sleep, you can't snatch yourself out of it, unless you're woken up by some disturbance.

There just seems to be no escape, or easy way out. Or perhaps there is. There are people who sleep without dreaming, and dream while awake. I really can't say how they accomplish this. All I know is it can be done. I've seen it being done. At least the dreaming while awake, that is. It's not possible to see the sleeping without dreaming. We just have to take their word for it.
The dreaming while awake can be observed, and it's quite fun to observe. The eyes remain open, so you might be deceived. But there are other signs. For example, you may say something to a dreaming person, and the person will look blankly at you. Or the person may say something entirely irrelevant to what you said. There are many other signs, but we need to get on with our topic.

Sleep and dreams, then, are both necessary, but they don't come when you want them to, and steal upon you when you don't want them. Dreams, especially, reveal things about you you'd rather not know, and don't reveal stuff you'd love to see.
The whole phenomenon of sleep, dreams, and waking life can be summed up in this way. People sleep when they'd rather be awake; stay awake when they'd rather be sleeping. They dream when they'd rather be sleeping; sleep when they'd rather be dreaming. They sleep and dream when they'd rather be awake and dreaming; stay awake and dream when they'd rather be sleeping and dreaming. They sleep without dreaming when they'd....(you get the point.)

别让生活有太多遗憾..

2011-11-30T23:15:00.000+08:00

你改变不了环境，但可以改变自已.. 因为年轻，所以会经历一些事情，比如爱情，比如友情，没有人能够永远快乐幸福的过每一天。没有人能够坦然的面对自己的坚强和软弱。

2011-11-19T14:22:00.001+08:00

我一直鬧著玩的樣子你應該不知道我真的愛你愛到不可自拔的地方，只是在我們一起的時候總覺得說了就會被你取笑，所以一直都没有說，聽著你叫我寶貝也會覺得你是鬧著玩，一點都不是出自真心，但我好後悔，現在你離我而去，我再多說這些想念、愛你的話也没有用，現在的我就只可以在一個充滿你的氣味的房間哭泣，真的第一次覺得就連呼吸這個生理需求都會很痛。在這幾年，大家相處這麼久，在不同地方擁有這麼多回憶，在我心中現在都是一種痛，跟你一起去過的地方我一秒都待不下去，眼淚不自覺的就會流了下來。我真的很想你回到我身邊來，縱使我知道事實改變不了，但一下子感情說没了就没了，我不是機器人，我真的感到很痛。

2011-11-19T14:18:00.002+08:00

放开你的手　不管等多久
失败是成功之母　
我们不怕苦　找得到路

(H)你教我的歌　你唱歌的声
将那人潮都暗哑　
甜美而优雅　好牵挂

原来思念也有生命　有呼吸　有你
扎根在我的心　像部分身体
再多的风雨　再多不允许
都不能阻挡我们在一起

原来思念有意义　有爱与　勇气
我不在身边就让思念代替
代替我去爱你　去呵护你

放开你的手　送你到最后
你的泪在我胸口
不管等多久　无所求

2011-11-18T21:25:00.001+08:00

Of Time

2011-11-15T20:27:00.001+08:00

Time is merely a mutually accepted invented measure. The idea for clocks could have come from the idea that the universe, or at least our sun and moon and the planets that were visible when clocks were invented, go around like wheels within wheels.

A clock is a convenient re-occurring mechanical event mechanism divided up into chunks of what is most widely accepted as seconds minutes and hours.

People that have no urgent business or places to be have no problem sleeping when it is dark and living actively when it is light, no need for clocks really as they know the fish they want to catch, rather than the plane or train, bite before first light and last light, what more would you need? If you want to catch something as large as a plane you need a bloody big hook and smaller divisions of day or night to be wherever when the one you want to catch appears unless you are prepared to sit around all day and night and wait for it, which a lot of people seem to do......

Through some quirk of mathematics there is no such thing as a straight line, apparently if it is let loose in the universe it will eventually end up where it started, a big circle!

It has been said by Archemedes, that a straight line is the shortest distance between two points, if this is true then that straight line we let loose in the universe is not a circle but merely an infinitesimally small dot, to a point where perhaps it doesn't even exist, as the beginning and the end would be in the same place making the shortest distance between them right where it began, which kind of suggests that time is either non existant or not a requirement for a complete existance, moments being non divisive, then to make the concept even more fascinating, where is the beginning? is it where we first visually observe or is it some place else like in its conceptual beginning?whilst measured time conceives physical change time is not necessary for us to exist, ergo, one exists regardless of time.

Silence

2011-11-07T22:24:00.000+08:00

Noise is a form of communication. It is pollution for the senses. An overwhelming noise wins attention. “Get out of my way! I am here....” is the message. The outer world has its own ways.

Even though tolerance can allow us to endure noise, disengagement from it; will allow us not to be there while being there. The journey of knowing, starts in experiencing noise; then that experience ascends to a sound which when arranged harmoniously, will become music to the ears. The journey ends up in the most beautiful, fulfilling and complete sound of all: silence.

Nature has sounds: we hear the voice of the wind blowing through the leaves of the trees , along with the cheerful chanting of birds , in a magnificent duet, which brings sensory beauty to the exquisite pleasure of seeing Nature's elegant display of colors and shapes. In that setting, man is in harmony with the self only when allowing himself to be touched by the caressing hands of mother Nature. In that fulfilling state, sounds become music. An unforgettable tune with no lyrics other than an appreciative heart.

The heart displays its own tune through a heartbeat, and those sounds become a tender lullaby which have the ability to awaken the beauty of the soul. The spirit becomes alive and awaken through the experience of beauty in Nature, that is when the mind opens up by letting itself go along with the gentle notes of that natural song coming from the heart.

That is a precious experience.

The mind becomes empty of thoughts, ideas, beliefs and memories. The mind is finally free from the bondage of words. The mind becomes free from the roller coaster of emotions. In that state resides the opportunity to feel something unlike yesterday; that is the chance to feel “alive” now.

That is silence of the mind.

However, the mind desperately clings to ideas and beliefs like branches of a tree relying on the strength of a column to raise up. Those beliefs, ideas and “truths” become the only source of security. The tree becomes dependent on that column to survive, just like the mind without the experience of silence becomes dependent on the noises to feel alive. The mind creates a wall of expectations: Every known thing has a label and through words, the mind decorates those labels, those names with pretty flowers. Those labels become the object of survival. They become the thing rather than just a description of the real thing.

An empty mind of preconceptions, ideas, words, labels, judgments and opinions is necessary to experience that fulfilling, restful silence . In that state of emptiness, the rays of happiness of the sun of knowledge, the supreme being; will be cheerfully received by the eager sunflowers. The mind is an eager sunflower which needs that light of spirituality to survive. A mind that is fulfilled with that beauty requires to be empty first. Emptiness brings silence; and love to God brings sweet silence.

The journey of freedom starts by knowing noise, for only when we know noise, we can cherish silence.

2011-11-06T22:27:00.000+08:00

别问

2011-11-03T23:03:00.001+08:00

别问我的伤别问我的痛
别问我的心中是否在流血
别问我是否心已碎
别问酒逢故人醉不醉
别问我的苦别问我的悲
别问我的流浪是否很疲惫
别问我是否还有泪
别问魂萦旧梦对不对
也别问我会不会

你走就走，干干脆脆，管我怎么样.

2011-10-30T20:01:00.001+08:00

一件事，就算再美好，一旦没有结果，就不要再纠缠，久了你会倦，会累；一个人，就算再留念，如果你抓不住，就要适时放手，久了你会神伤，会心碎。有时侯，放弃也是一种坚持。你错失了夏花绚烂，必将会走进秋叶静羌。任何事，任何人，都会成为过去，不要跟它过不去，无论多难，我们都要学会抽身而退。

总有一个人，一直住在心里，却告别在生活里。忘不掉的是回忆，继续的是生活，来来往往身边出现了很多人，总有一个位置，一直没有变。看看温暖的阳光，偶尔还是会想一想。

2011-10-30T10:16:00.000+08:00

Addressing the weak spots

2011-10-20T22:02:00.001+08:00

Addressing the weak spots

Every generation of new iPhone (and its iOS) has appeared to be aimed at erasing the top three (and only the top three) complaints of the previous model, changes which have also happened to be the top three advantages held by competing products.

The second generation iPhone 3G added 3G mobile service, GPS and lowered the price dramatically, while iOS 2.0 added third party apps, enterprise features and push messaging, making the iPhone competitive with Palm OS, Symbian, BlackBerry and Windows Mobile, while also holding its own advantages in usability.

The third generation iPhone 3GS added more speed, RAM and a better camera capable of video, while iOS 3.0 added a sophisticated text selection method for copy/paste, MMS and tethering, Find My Phone and expanded Bluetooth support, again matching the top unique features that other mobile platforms and their devices held over the iPhone.

Last year's fourth generation iPhone 4 provided a much improved Retina Display, a faster processor, and a much better set of cameras with flash, while iOS 4.0 added Multtasking, FaceTime and Spotlight search, again bringing Apple's smartphone into parity with the formerly unique features of webOS and Android competitors.

This year, Apple similarly looked at the three weakest spots of iPhone 4 and determined they were its overall speed, camera and Voice Command. Apple subsequently released iPhone 4S with the same multicore A5 processor as iPad 2, a significantly better camera, and an entirely new voice interface, which leverages cloud computing to deliver not just voice recognition, but actual assistant functions powered by unique artificial intelligence processing.

In software, Apple identified iOS 4's weakest spots as being its MobileMe cloud services, its forced attachment to iTunes and its modal notifications system, and fixed all three as the primary new features in iOS 5.

Personal philosophy

2011-10-10T23:24:00.001+08:00

Choosing a personal philosophy is not about what is right or wrong or seeking the truth. It is about choosing a set of guidelines to live your life by. It is about choosing the person you want to be. It can take years or even decades to develop a philosophy that is all your own or you can choose from the many philosophies in existence.

My personal philosophy is a blend of existentialism, secular humanism, and objectivism. This may seem somewhat confusing, but I have found that different people and different situations require a different approach, and that my personal philosophy adapts to these variances. For the most part, I believe that people deserve to live their life in a way that will bring them the most happiness without causing harm to others. The standards and restrictions of morality can cause society to judge those that should not be judged, while at the same time keeping the values of self-preservation.

When looking at the world at face value, there are givers, and there are takers. This is not always true. If I were exclusively a secular humanist, I would accept that there are takers, and as a giver, I would cater to this group and have no qualms with inner workings of human nature. However, I do have issues with this. I believe that it is very important to have relationships that are mutually beneficial without being completely self indulgent. There should be a balance between the greed and self importance of objectivism and the ambivalence of humanism.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to better your situation and to be successful in life. There is nothing wrong with connecting with people that will help you in this process, but losing your “soul” can be detrimental to mental growth and stability. Happiness and determination are not the same thing. Some people never find happiness although the motivation to succeed is there. Happiness is finding the beauty in the human experience. For me, happiness is knowing what I am doing will benefit our species as a whole. Progression and evolution happens when we challenge traditional mindsets.

So far, there has not been a single philosophy that can be universally accepted and practiced, but that is not a bad thing. If we don’t grow, change, and progress through this life, our lives, culture, and race will become stagnant and void of meaning. What is true today may not be true tomorrow, but life is a voyage, not a game that we win or lose. The end does not matter as much as the path we have taken to get there.

7 principles of design

2011-10-09T04:05:00.000+08:00

DESIGN AND COLOUR

The elements and principles of design are the building blocks used to create a work of art. The elements of design can be thought of as the things that make up a painting, drawing, design etc. Good or bad - all paintings will contain most of if not all, the seven elements of design.

The Principles of design can be thought of as what we do to the elements of design. How we apply the Principles of design determines how successful we are in creating a work of art.

THE ELEMENTS OF DESIGN

LINE
Line can be considered in two ways. The linear marks made with a pen or brush or the edge created when two shapes meet.

SHAPE
A shape is a self contained defined area of geometric or organic form. A positive shape in a painting automatically creates a negative shape.

DIRECTION
All lines have direction - Horizontal, Vertical or Oblique. Horizontal suggests calmness, stability and tranquillity. Vertical gives a feeling of balance, formality and alertness. Oblique suggests movement and action
see notes on direction

SIZE
Size is simply the relationship of the area occupied by one shape to that of another.

TEXTURE
Texture is the surface quality of a shape - rough, smooth, soft hard glossy etc. Texture can be physical (tactile) or visual.
see notes on texture

COLOUR
Also called Hue
see notes on colour

VALUE
Value is the lightness or darkness of a colour. Value is also called Tone
see notes on tonal contrast
THE PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN

BALANCE
Balance in design is similar to balance in physics

A large shape close to the center can be balanced
by a small shape close to the edge. A large light
toned shape will be balanced by a small dark toned
shape (the darker the shape the heavier it appears to be)

GRADATION
Gradation of size and direction produce linear perspective. Gradation of of colour from warm to cool and tone from dark to light produce aerial perspective. Gradation can add interest and movement to a shape. A gradation from dark to light will cause the eye to move along a shape.

REPETITION
Repetition with variation is interesting, without variation repetition can become monotonous.

The five squares above are all the same. They can be taken in and understood with a single glance.

When variation is introduced, the five squares, although similar, are much more interesting to look at. They can no longer be absorbed properly with a single glance. The individual character of each square needs to be considered.

If you wish to create interest, any repeating element should include a degree of variation.

CONTRAST
Contrast is the juxtaposition of opposing elements eg. opposite colours on the colour wheel - red / green, blue / orange etc. Contrast in tone or value - light / dark. Contrast in direction - horizontal / vertical.
The major contrast in a painting should be located at the center of interest. Too much contrast scattered throughout a painting can destroy unity and make a work difficult to look at. Unless a feeling of chaos and confusion are what you are seeking, it is a good idea to carefully consider where to place your areas of maximum contrast.

HARMONY
Harmony in painting is the visually satisfying effect of combining similar, related elements. eg.adjacent colours on the colour wheel, similar shapes etc.

DOMINANCE
Dominance gives a painting interest, counteracting confusion and monotony. Dominance can be applied to one or more of the elements to give emphasis

UNITY
Relating the design elements to the the idea being expressed in a painting reinforces the principal of unity.eg. a painting with an active aggressive subject would work better with a dominant oblique direction, course, rough texture, angular lines etc. whereas a quiet passive subject would benefit from horizontal lines, soft texture and less tonal contrast.

Unity in a painting also refers to the visual linking of various elements of the work.

For Steve.

2011-10-07T20:07:00.000+08:00

Protect Your Data From Target Disk Mode Security Risks [OS X Tips]

2011-09-25T10:16:00.002+08:00

Protect Your Data From Target Disk Mode Security Risks [OS X Tips]

Apple computers have a unique boot option called Target Disk Mode which allows access to a system’s hard drives via Firewire cable in older Macs and a Thunderbolt cable in newer models. You access Target Disk Mode by pressing and holding the “T” key while the system starts and until you see either the Firewire or Thunderbolt symbol on the screen.

Once you see the symbol appear you can connect your computer to another Mac Or PC and the hard drives on the Mac in Target Disk Mode will mount on the other system with full access. Since you have full access to the startup disk your data’s security is compromised, but here are a few ways to fix that. I’ll show you how in today’s tip.

There are three primary ways to protect your data from prying eyes after your system boots into Target Disk Mode or before: encryption, a firmware password and restricting physical access to your Mac.
File Vault, File Vault 2 or Third-Party Encryption

The easiest way to protect your data from prying eyes is to use File Vault. File Vault is available on all Macs, but only Macs running Mac OS X Lion have File Vault 2 which includes full disk encryption. Macs running Mac OS X Snow Leopard’s version of File Vault only protects the user’s Home folder and there are third-party apps like Exces or PGP that you can use as encryption options on your Mac (virtual drives, full disk encryption, etc.).

You activate File Vault 2 via the Security & Privacy preferences panel inside of System Preferences. I’ve got a how to about using File Vault 2 on systems running Mac OS X Lion that will show you how to fully encrypt your startup disk. So why would you do this? The reason is that even in Target Disk Mode the encrypted disk isn’t accessible unless you have a password. Bonus: You can go a step further using this other how to I wrote using File Vault 2 to encrypt external drives.
Firmware Password

Simply enabling a firmware password would prevent access to your Macs startup disk because unless you know that password your Mac will not even boot into Target Disk Mode. Mac OS X Lion’s new Recovery HD partition has the utility needed to set the firmware password. Just restart your Mac while pressing and holding the Command+R keys and your Mac will boot into the recovery partition. You’ll find the Password Utility on the Utilities menu once you see the recovery partitions menu.

A lengthy explanation about enabling a firmware password is found in this Apple Knowledge Base document http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1352. People using Macs that don’t support the recovery partition or Macs running Mac OS X Snow Leopard should read HT1352.

It is important to note that in some cases if you loose your firmware password you may have to visit an Apple authorized service center to get it reset. So make sure that you keep a record of it.
Restrict Physical Access

Since the firmware password isn’t 100% foolproof because hardware changes can cause your Mac to bypass the firmware password. This means you might not need that service center visit after all, but it also means that firmware passwords aren’t all that great either. Physical access restrictions are the best way to protect your Mac since if, for example, you lock a MacBook Air in a drawer not even you will be able to use it, but your data is safe from everyone including you!

Conclusion

In summary you have three options to protect your data from being accessed via Target Disk Mode listed in the order of the most effectiveness: restrict physical access to your Mac, File Vault encryption and a firmware password. The first option will be the best since no one can get to your Mac while the second is best when used in combination with the latter. The firmware password will act as a deterrent for less experienced hackers or thieves, but since it can be by-passed encryption is what saves the day in the end. If you use File Vault and a firmware password you’ll be able to access your data in the best possible way with the fewest hassles.

A guide to speeding/tuning up OSX

2011-09-17T01:30:00.001+08:00

Yes your Mac may be quite fast OTB and will remain relatively fast over the next 4 years or so with minimal maintenance. Anyway, I did some research and did some poking to see if I can squeeze more computing power.
Mods, if you think this is useful, do sticky this so that others can benefit.

Before reading this guide, backup your data on your time machine. This guide defnitely works for me, and it may not work for you, or crash your system. I shall not be held responsible for anything that happens to your Mac.

Also, every Mac is built differently, and everyone has a different config, so this guide may not be for you as it had only been

Machines with SSDs are as fast as is, but I managed to pull out more performance on them. Also, I tried this tuning on Apple's stock 500GB 7200rpm harddisk and performance did increase too, so hopefully this guide works for everyone

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Step 1: Disable paging/swapping
Go to console and type these commands.
sudo launchctl unload -w /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.dynamic_pager.plist
sudo rm /private/var/vm/swapfile*
Restart your computer.

It is not recommended you disable swapping if your Mac does not have a lot of ram. This step only helps if you have lots of ram, also, this step is a real dealbreaker as its the one single step which boosts the OS the most. So as a guide, only try this if you have 4GB or more of ram. Any lower and you will find your system locking up.

Step 2: Disable Dashboard
Go to console and type these commands.
defaults write com.apple.dashboard mcx-disabled -boolean YES
killall Dock
Restart your computer.

Step 3: Disable Spotlight
Go to console and type these commands.
sudo mdutil -a -i off
mdutil -E /
sudo launchctl unload -w /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.metadata.mds.plist
Restart your computer.

If you absolutely cannot live without file searching, I suggest downloading QuickSilver, its an alternative to spotlight and searches faster and without needing for indexing.

Step 4: Delete unused language packs and non-Intel architecture types
Download Monolingual
Delete the language packs you do not use and the non-Intel architecture files.

When deleting languages, make absolutely sure you delete the languages you do not use or you're screwed until you reinstall SL. Also, if you're running apps on non-Intel architecture, do not remove those files.

Step 5: Make your dock 2D
Go to console and type these commands.
defaults write com.apple.dock no-glass -boolean YES
killall Dock

Step 6: Remove unnecessary startup apps
Open system preferences,
Open your user account,
Under login items, remove the apps you do not want to have at startup.

Step 7: Clean up your permissions
Download OnyX
Run the permissions cleaner under Maintenance > Permissions
Ensure the maintainence scripts are run under Maintenance > Scripts.

Step 8: Remove unused items in dock and move all items away from desktop
Self explanatory.

Step 9: Defrag
Buy iDefrag and defrag your system.

Many people say defragging OSX is not necessary because the OS "self-maintains" itself. This is only partially true. OSX will only sort and maintain files under 20MB which means it only moves the small files to optimise the system. However, OSX has around 300k to 1mil files with 80% of them less than 20mb. If you do the math, after a period, your disk will simply become fragmented, hence the need to defrag once in a while.

Do not defrag if you are using an SSD. SSDs perform best when fragmented, in addition you make it spoil faster.

Step 10: Disable local time machine backups(LION ONLY)
Go to your console and type in this command
sudo tmutil disablelocal

If you have Time Machine enabled, it regularly makes backups onto your hard drive. If you have your own external HD or NAS making Time Machine backups for you, local backups of Time Machine are unnecessary, not to mention, backups constantly perform read and writes, hence slowing down your hard drive. Very useful for people who own SSDs or hard disks with small capacities.

Uninstalling Procedures

Step 1: Enable paging/swapping
Go to console and type these commands.
sudo launchctl load -w /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.dynamic_pager.plist
sudo rm /private/var/vm/swapfile*
Restart your computer.

Step 2: Disable Dashboard
Go to console and type these commands.
defaults write com.apple.dashboard mcx-disabled -boolean NO
killall Dock
Restart your computer.

Step 3: Disable Spotlight
Go to console and type these commands.
sudo mdutil -a -i on
sudo launchctl load -w /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.metadata.mds.plist
Restart your computer.

Step 4: Delete unused language packs and non-Intel architecture types
Use Time Machine

Step 5: Make your dock 2D
Go to console and type these commands.
defaults write com.apple.dock no-glass -boolean NO
killall Dock

Step 6: Remove unnecessary startup apps
Open system preferences,
Open your user account,
Under login items, add back the apps you want to have at startup.

Step 7: Clean up your permissions
Use Time Machine

Step 8: Remove unused items in dock and move all items away from desktop
Self explanatory.

Step 9: Defrag
Cannot be undone

Step 10: Disable local time machine backups(LION ONLY)
Go to your console and type in this command
sudo tmutil enablelocal

dead island mechanic glitch

2011-09-13T23:58:00.002+08:00

Do you have problems with Chapter Broken Bird?

During the protect-the-mechanic mission, there seems to be a glitch when 6 zombies are waiting the mechanic outside the garage.

Simple! First, you must not park the car near the red circle. Alight, then walk on foot & go finish off the zombies. Once the coast is clear, now get back into the car & drive it into the red circle. Leave the car. Voila!

龔柯允 - 太傻

2011-09-13T14:37:00.001+08:00

看着看着，眼泪不禁落下。

OS X Defragment

2011-09-07T20:26:00.001+08:00

OS X has its own built-in safeguards that prevent files from becoming fragmented in the first place.

* HFS+ file system in Mac doesn't use recently freed file space on a Mac disk. Instead, it looks for larger free areas already present on the drive, thereby avoiding fragmenting files just to fit them into available space.
* OS X dynamically gathers groups of small files and combines them into larger areas on your disk automatically. The process of writing the files to a new larger location defragments all of the files in the group.
* OS X implements Hot File Adaptive Clustering, which monitors frequently-accessed files that do not get changed (read only), and then moves these often-accessed files to a special hot zone on the hard drive. In the process of moving these files, OS X defragments them, and then stores them in the area of the hard drive that has the fastest access.
* When you open a file, OS X checks to see if it is highly fragmented (more than 8 fragments). If it is, OS X will automatically defragment the file.

The result of all these safeguards is that OSX rarely, if ever, needs to have its disk space defragmented. The only real exception to this is when your hard drive has less than 10 percent free space. At that point, OS X is unable to perform its automatic defragmentation routines, and you should consider either removing files or go for some third party defragmenting tool for Mac.

Its also important to note that although the Mac OS X is too smart to handle the fragmented files but its limited to 20 MB only. If a user want to defrag a file larger than 20 MB, he must use a third party Mac Defragger.

Shaolin Jedi

2011-08-22T19:50:00.001+08:00

Check out who's de monk! hahahah

Bali Wedding Chapel

2011-08-03T20:10:00.000+08:00

Romantic! I would wanna married in one of such Chapel!

Cher - You Haven't Seen the Last of Me

2011-07-31T23:25:00.001+08:00

I've been brought down to my knees
And I've been pushed way past the point of breaking,
But I can take it. I'll be back -
Back on my feet
This is far from over
You haven't seen the last of me

2011-07-22T00:48:00.001+08:00

I have diabetes.

Sunday Brunch

2011-07-19T12:03:00.000+08:00

你是我的女人 - 劉德華 (Cover by Robynn and Kendy)

2011-07-16T15:56:00.001+08:00

random musing

2011-07-16T13:40:00.001+08:00

老媽教我如何挑男友 (句句經典。姜還是老的辣啊 !! )

1，現在很多女孩子挑男朋友，直接就看長相啊家境啊。這是很膚淺的，因為一切都會變。男的老了看上去都差不多，而且家裡的錢也有花完的一天。
如果想挑以後能給自己幸福生活（包括物質）的男生，直接就看他對你好不好。只有當一個男的死心塌地對你好的時候，他才有動力去為你拼搏。你看看現在，那些不求上進的男的，有幾個是非常愛女朋友的？反之，那些非常愛女朋友的男人，有幾個是每天混日子的？（鼓掌！！！）可以說，愛和事業，是相輔相成的，成正比的！（鼓掌！！！）
所以，我當年挑你爸，一個重要原因，就是他對我感情最深。

2，我插嘴：這麼說，老媽，老爸對你好，所以你找老爸？

2011-07-13T18:01:00.001+08:00

慢慢等

2011-06-20T12:26:00.001+08:00

我会慢慢等慢慢等慢慢等慢慢等慢慢等慢慢等

　　等上线的铃声慢慢等等到我都睡着了

　　耐心等只为了心动那一刻

　　慢慢等慢慢等慢慢等慢慢等慢慢等慢慢等

　　等红灯变绿灯慢慢等当你突然觉得冷

　　我会握着温暖在这里等着

Pre-Birthday Celeb from Everyone!

2011-06-16T00:22:00.000+08:00

Top 10 reasons why happiness at work is the ultimate productivity booster

2011-06-12T09:08:00.000+08:00

Lisa was falling behind at work. Every morning she woke up nervous about the workday ahead of her. Every evening she went home thinking of all the tasks she hadn’t gotten around to.

Lisa is a 35-year old engineer and project manager at a Danish IT company. With business booming, keeping up had become a struggle – she felt she had to run really fast, to just to stay in place.

With her in-box overflowing and people all around her clamoring for assistance on their projects, she started to look at various productivity tools and systems and quickly settled on the one she’d use. As is typical for Lisa, once she’s decided to do something, she does it, and with new ways of tracking time, improved todo-lists and prioritizing her work, she did notice that she was getting more work done.

But she still felt, that she could be more productive. While she was thinking about her next step, it struck her: Some of what she did, she hated doing.

While she generally enjoyed her job, especially helping people plan their projects and advising them on the best ways to move forward, some of her tasks were administrative in nature. Tracking progress, updating various statics, generating reports, etc… . They didn’t take up that much of her time – but they were a lot less fun. Let’s face it: to Lisa, they were boring as hell.

She talked to her boss about it, and they decided to give those tasks to a project secretary. This freed up a little time for Lisa, but mostly it allowed her to work on those parts of her job that she really liked. Consequently Lisa became a lot happier at work – and THAT’S when her productivity sky-rocketed. Now she had the energy to connect with her people and the creativity to think up and implement new ideas. Instead of feeling stressed and harried, she was optimistic and positive.

While her productivity system had definitely helped her get more done, the productivity boost she got from being happy at work was many times bigger. Lisa is now working way less hours – and getting much more done. And most importantly, she’s enjoying work a lot more!

If you want to get more done at work, the productivity gurus out there will tell you that it’s all about having the right system. You need to prioritize your tasks, you must keep detailed logs of how you spend your time, todo-lists are of course essential, you must learn to structure your calendar and much, much more.

But that’s not where you should start. You should start by liking what you do.

The single most efficient way to increase your productivity is to be happy at work. No system, tool or methodology in the world can beat the productivity boost you get from really, really enjoying your work.

I’m not knocking all the traditional productivity advice out there – it’s not that it’s bad or deficient. It’s just that when you apply it in a job that basically doesn’t make you happy, you’re trying to fix something at a surface level when the problem goes much deeper.

Here are the 10 most important reasons why happiness at work is the #1 productivity booster.

1: Happy people work better with others
Happy people are a lot more fun to be around and consequently have better relations at work. This translates into:

Better teamwork with your colleagues
Better employee relations if you’re a manager
More satisfied customers if you’re in a service job
Improved sales if you’re a sales person

2: Happy people are more creative
If your productivity depends on being able to come up with new ideas, you need to be happy at work. Check out the research of Teresa Amabile for proof. She says:

If people are in a good mood on a given day, they’re more likely to have creative ideas that day, as well as the next day, even if we take into account their mood that next day.

There seems to be a cognitive process that gets set up when people are feeling good that leads to more flexible, fluent, and original thinking, and there’s actually a carryover, an incubation effect, to the next day.

3: Happy people fix problems instead of complaining about them
When you don’t like your job, every molehill looks like a mountain. It becomes difficult to fix any problem without agonizing over it or complaining about it first. When you’re happy at work and you run into a snafu – you just fix it.

4: Happy people have more energy
Happy people have more energy and are therefore more efficient at everything they do.

5: Happy people are more optimistic
Happy people have a more positive, optimistic outlook, and as research shows (particularly Martin Seligman’s work in positive psychology), optimists are way more successful and productive. It’s the old saying “Whether you believe you can or believe you can’t, you’re probably right” all over again.

6: Happy people are way more motivated
Low motivation means low productivity, and the only sustainable, reliable way to be motivated at work is to be happy and like what you do. I wrote about this in a previous post called Why “motivation by pizza” doesn’t work.

7: Happy people get sick less often
Getting sick is a productivity killer and if you don’t like your job you’re more prone to contract a long list of diseases including ulcers, cancer and diabetes. You’re also more prone to workplace stress and burnout.

One study assessed the impact of job strain on the health of 21,290 female nurses in the US and found that the women most at risk of ill health were those who didn’t like their jobs. The impact on their health was a great as that associated with smoking and sedentary lifestyles (source).

8: Happy people learn faster
When you’re happy and relaxed, you’re much more open to learning new things at work and thereby increasing your productivity.

9: Happy people worry less about making mistakes – and consequently make fewer mistakes
When you’re happy at work the occasional mistake doesn’t bother you much. You pick yourself up, learn from it and move on. You also don’t mind admitting to others that you screwed up – you simply take responsibility, apologize and fix it. This relaxed attitude means that less mistakes are made, and that you’re more likely to learn from them.

10: Happy people make better decisions
Unhappy people operate in permanent crisis mode. Their focus narrows, they lose sight of the big picture, their survival instincts kick in and they’re more likely to make short-term, here-and-now choices. Conversely, happy people make better, more informed decisions and are better able to prioritize their work.

The upshot

Think back to a situation where you felt that you were at peak performance. A situation where your output was among the highest and best it’s ever been. I’m willing to bet that you were working at something that made you happy. Something that you loved doing.

There’s a clear link between happiness at work and productivity. This only leaves the question of causation: Does being productive make us happy or does being happy make us productive? The answer is, of course, yes! The link goes both ways.

But the link is strongest from happiness to productivity – which means that it if you want to be more productive, the very best thing you can do is focus on being happy with what you do?

So how do you get to be happy at work? There are two ways, really:

Get happy in the job you have. There are about a million things you can do to improve your work situation – provided you choose to do something, rather than wait for someone else to come along and do it for you.
Find a new job where you can be happy. If your current job is not fixable, don’t wait – move on now!

Top 5 reasons why “The Customer Is Always Right” is wrong

2011-06-04T08:53:00.000+08:00

The customer is always right?

When the customer isn’t right – for your business

One woman who frequently flew on Southwest, was constantly disappointed with every aspect of the company’s operation. In fact, she became known as the “Pen Pal” because after every flight she wrote in with a complaint.

She didn’t like the fact that the company didn’t assign seats; she didn’t like the absence of a first-class section; she didn’t like not having a meal in flight; she didn’t like Southwest’s boarding procedure; she didn’t like the flight attendants’ sporty uniforms and the casual atmosphere.

Her last letter, reciting a litany of complaints, momentarily stumped Southwest’s customer relations people. They bumped it up to Herb’s [Kelleher, CEO of Southwest] desk, with a note: ‘This one’s yours.’

In sixty seconds, Kelleher wrote back and said, ‘Dear Mrs. Crabapple, We will miss you. Love, Herb.’”

The phrase “The customer is always right” was originally coined by Harry Gordon Selfridge, the founder of Selfridge’s department store in London in 1909, and is typically used by businesses to:

Convince customers that they will get good service at this company
Convince employees to give customers good service

Fortunately more and more businesses are abandoning this maxim – ironically because it leads to bad customer service.

Here are the top five reasons why “The customer is always right” is wrong.

1: It makes employees unhappy

Gordon Bethune is a brash Texan (as is Herb Kelleher, coincidentally) who is best known for turning Continental Airlines around “From Worst to First,” a story told in his book of the same title from 1998. He wanted to make sure that both customers and employees liked the way Continental treated them, so he made it very clear that the maxim “the customer is always right” didn’t hold sway at Continental.

In conflicts between employees and unruly customers he would consistently side with his people. Here’s how he puts it:

When we run into customers that we can’t reel back in, our loyalty is with our employees. They have to put up with this stuff every day. Just because you buy a ticket does not give you the right to abuse our employees . . .

We run more than 3 million people through our books every month. One or two of those people are going to be unreasonable, demanding jerks. When it’s a choice between supporting your employees, who work with you every day and make your product what it is, or some irate jerk who demands a free ticket to Paris because you ran out of peanuts, whose side are you going to be on?

You can’t treat your employees like serfs. You have to value them . . . If they think that you won’t support them when a customer is out of line, even the smallest problem can cause resentment.

So Bethune trusts his people over unreasonable customers. What I like about this attitude is that it balances employees and customers, where the “always right” maxim squarely favors the customer – which is not a good idea, because, as Bethune says, it causes resentment among employees.

Of course there are plenty of examples of bad employees giving lousy customer service. But trying to solve this by declaring the customer “always right” is counter-productive.
2: It gives abrasive customers an unfair advantage

Using the slogan “The customer is always right” abusive customers can demand just about anything – they’re right by definition, aren’t they? This makes the employees’ job that much harder, when trying to rein them in.

Also, it means that abusive people get better treatment and conditions than nice people. That always seemed wrong to me, and it makes much more sense to be nice to the nice customers to keep them coming back.
3: Some customers are bad for business

Most businesses think that “the more customers the better”. But some customers are quite simply bad for business.

Danish IT service provider ServiceGruppen proudly tell this story:

One of our service technicians arrived at a customer’s site for a maintenance task, and to his great shock was treated very rudely by the customer.

When he’d finished the task and returned to the office, he told management about his experience. They promptly cancelled the customer’s contract.

Just like Kelleher dismissed the irate lady who kept complaining (but somehow also kept flying on Southwest), ServiceGruppen fired a bad customer. Note that it was not even a matter of a financial calculation – not a question of whether either company would make or lose money on that customer in the long run. It was a simple matter of respect and dignity and of treating their employees right.
4: It results in worse customer service

Rosenbluth International, a corporate travel agency, took it even further. CEO Hal Rosenbluth wrote an excellent book about their approach called Put The Customer Second – Put your people first and watch’em kick butt.

Rosenbluth argues that when you put the employees first, they put the customers first. Put employees first, and they will be happy at work. Employees who are happy at work give better customer service because:

They care more about other people, including customers
They have more energy
They are happy, meaning they are more fun to talk to and interact with
They are more motivated

On the other hand, when the company and management consistently side with customers instead of with employees, it sends a clear message that:

Employees are not valued
That treating employees fairly is not important
That employees have no right to respect from customers
That employees have to put up with everything from customers

When this attitude prevails, employees stop caring about service. At that point, real good service is almost impossible – the best customers can hope for is fake good service. You know the kind I mean: corteous on the surface only.
5: Some customers are just plain wrong

Herb Kelleher agrees, as this passage From Nuts! the excellent book about Southwest Airlines shows:

Herb Kelleher [...] makes it clear that his employees come first — even if it means dismissing customers. But aren’t customers always right? “No, they are not,” Kelleher snaps. “And I think that’s one of the biggest betrayals of employees a boss can possibly commit. The customer is sometimes wrong. We don’t carry those sorts of customers. We write to them and say, ‘Fly somebody else. Don’t abuse our people.’”

If you still think that the customer is always right, read this story from Bethune’s book “From Worst to First”:

A Continental flight attendant once was offended by a passenger’s child wearing a hat with Nazi and KKK emblems on it. It was pretty offensive stuff, so the attendant went to the kid’s father and asked him to put away the hat. “No,” the guy said. “My kid can wear what he wants, and I don’t care who likes it.”

The flight attendant went into the cockpit and got the first officer, who explained to the passenger the FAA regulation that makes it a crime to interfere with the duties of a crew member. The hat was causing other passengers and the crew discomfort, and that interfered with the flight attendant’s duties. The guy better put away the hat.

He did, but he didn’t like it. He wrote many nasty letters. We made every effort to explain our policy and the federal air regulations, but he wasn’t hearing it. He even showed up in our executive suite to discuss the matter with me. I let him sit out there. I didn’t want to see him and I didn’t want to listen to him. He bought a ticket on our airplane, and that means we’ll take him where he wants to go. But if he’s going to be rude and offensive, he’s welcome to fly another airline.

The fact is that some customers are just plain wrong, that businesses are better of without them, and that managers siding with unreasonable customers over employees is a very bad idea, that results in worse customer service.

So put your people first. And watch them put the customers first.

UPDATE:
This post has spawned a great discussion here and one some other websites.
Digg
“One of the consistent back up statements of “The Customer is Always Right” is the amount of dollars it costs to replace a customer. It costs more to replace a customer than to retain one most times. However, it also costs a lot more to recruit, hire, and train a new employee than it does to keep one happy.”

Kinkoids Unite – a site for Kinko’s workers
“In my region, when an employee is mentioned in a customer complaint, he/she has to apologize to all 11 center managers in a conference call whether they were wrong or wronged.”

AdultDVDTalk (huh?)
“Unfortunately though, most companies in the customer service arena no longer even teach the basics of customer service. They just assume that it is a common-sense thing. Having spent 20 years interviewing job applicants, I can also say that there is no such thing as common sense! Just take a look at the high school and college grads showing up for job interviews in jeans and tee-shirts or chewing gum…or my favorite was the young lady who excused herself to answer her cell phone and carry on a brief but totally unnecessary conversation!”

Reddit
“On a very, very small number of occasions in my various service roles over the years, I’ve asked customers to leave the establishment because they were incorribly belligerent, hostile and abusive, and flat-out refused to accept any attempt to satisfy them. In these cases, the people were shopping for a fight rather than a commodity.”

PS I Love You

2011-05-26T23:18:00.000+08:00

A song with such strong emotions of life, & death.

EOS LENS @ $12 per pair

2011-05-25T19:36:00.000+08:00

ENQUIRIES & ORDERS?
EMAIL: t-ayden@live.com

ALL LENSES (Includes 14mm, 14.8mm) are sold at $12 per pair. Buy 3 pairs @ $11 per pair, buy 5 pairs and above @ $10 per pair!

15 mm NEW FLOWER SERIES are sold at $13 per pair. Buy 3 pairs @ $12 per pair, buy 5 pairs & above @ $11 per pair!

Please note! All lens in BLUE BOX are 0 DEGREES ONLY!
All other lenses are from 0-1000 degrees (some 0-800 degrees only).

Buy 10 & above to get FREE REGISTERED POST/POSTAGE!

GEO/EOS lens lifespan is 6-12 months (if properly maintained and 3 years if unopened!

ONCE CAPPING IS REACHED, PAYMENT MADE TO SUPPLIER, ORDER WILL REACH WITHIN 7 DAYS OR LESSER. EMS Tracking Number will be provided to customers to monitor shipment from Korea to Singapore.

Please refer to TERMS & CONDITIONS for all postage rates.

Please direct all other enquiries & orders to: t-ayden@live.com

** CLICK ON PICTURES TO ENLARGE IMAGE

ALL PICTURES ARE GOTTEN FROM SUPPLIER'S PRICE LIST.

2011-05-24T01:00:00.001+08:00

Of Kai : MGS Grey Fox

2011-05-17T19:50:00.001+08:00

Of GE 2011

2011-05-11T22:55:00.001+08:00

Below is an excellent article, written 8 May by well-known Singaporean author Catherine Lim, on her reaction following the recent GE 2011. This was forwarded to the ST Forum which requires her to make major amendments before publication. In response she has decided to post it in her blog site instead.

Political Commentary
How GE 2011 proved me—oh, so wonderfully!—wrong

I had been following the General Election of 2011 with intense interest, right up to the announcement of the results in the early hours of 8 May. There had been much to amaze me, and I just had to write down my thoughts and share them with my readers.

For 17 years, since 1994, I had been writing commentaries on various issues in the Singapore political scene. Whether these were long-standing problems such as the emotional divide between the PAP leadership and the people, or specific issues such as the controversial increase in ministerial salaries, the articles invariably identified the underlying cause as the unrelenting authoritarianism of the PAP government, with all that this implies of stern, punitive measures used by the leaders, and of timid compliance shown by the led.

Even as I made a plea for a political opening up, I could not shake off the pessimism that the PAP’s obsession with control would at best allow only a very limited version or, worse, only a semblance of it. Now GE 2011 has changed all that.

There were four distinct issues that I had brought up in my commentaries, in all of which I had been proved wrong by GE 2011 :
1) a climate of fear. I had come to believe that the PAP’s systematic use of fear as a strategy to silence critics was so successful that it had become a permanent feature of the Singapore political landscape. During election time, it would spawn all sorts of rumours about how a powerful and vindictive government could find out who you voted for, and punish you accordingly. But the climate of GE 2011 was far from fearful. I saw to my amazement, in the days leading up to the election, the emergence of a large group of young Singaporeans who were articulate, confident and bold, speaking their minds freely, fearlessly, in the mainstream and social media, and showing open, unabashed support for the opposition. Their confidence seemed infectious, spreading quickly among the people. Never again can I write about a population muted by fear, and its contemptible off-shoot, self censorship.

2) a politically naïve electorate. The climate of fear, as I wrote in my articles, had created an unquestioning society that I once rather gloomily described as among the most politically naïve in the world, since they had never been allowed exposure to the normal democratic processes of public debate, open criticism, an independent media, etc. I even compared such an infantilized society to hothoused plants that could not survive in the jungle of the real world outside.
Apathetic, ignorant, namby-pamby Singaporeans? No more, as shown by their surprising display of knowledge, interest and concern about social issues that had come up for debate during the GE 2011 campaigns. They had clearly thought hard about the issues, examined the impact on their lives, and understood the power of their vote to bring about change.

3) The underdog status of the opposition. I had shared the view, long held by the Singapore electorate, that the opposition would never pose a challenge to the PAP because of their chronic lack of quality candidates, resources, and proper organizational structure, resulting in their utter helplessness against the formidable PAP juggernaut. It was my belief that GE 2011 would be the opposition’s last chance to cast off the ignominious label of the underdog; otherwise they would risk being written off permanently by an exasperated, weary and resigned electorate.

But in the space of just a few years, the various opposition groups had clearly undergone a remarkable transformation, producing candidates to match any PAP team in academic and professional credentials. In the short nine-day campaigning period, they had vastly improved their public image and standing. Indeed, so serious a threat was the star among them, The Workers’ Party, that the PAP had to do some last-minute scrambling to come up with new campaigning strategies. It was a startling case of underdog-to-top dog transformation.

4) The inflexible mindset and style of the PAP. Clearly the chief reason that had resulted in the realities listed above – the fear, the apathy, the continuing weakness of the opposition – was the outright resistance of the PAP leadership to a political opening up. In my articles, I had invariably concluded that this resistance was in turn due to the PAP’s almost pathological dislike of the messiness of political dissent on the one hand, and their unshakeable confidence in their own superiority, on the other. In the four and a half decades of their rule, they had given the appearance not only of a one-party government in total control but of a government with rightful claims to perpetuity as well.

And then midway through the GE 2011 campaigning, I saw something never before seen in the PAP strongmen: a wavering of confidence, signs of real fear. What had happened was that, while campaigning, they had received a rude shock. Accepting the reality that for this election the ground was not really sweet, they had no idea of its sheer toxicity, and were not prepared for the extent and depth of the people’s frustration and anger on a whole range of issues. Shocked, the Prime Minister resorted to effusive apologies for past mistakes and humble promises to do better in the future. The all-out strategy of placation was quickly taken up by other PAP campaigners who too promised to work harder, listen more, show more caring, etc. One minister even spoke of the need for no less than a ‘transformation’ of the PAP style.

For me, this was the most unexpected—and gratifying—proof of how wrong I had been to suppose that the famous PAP knuckleduster approach, so beloved of the party’s founder, Lee Kuan Yew, would be used forever on Singaporeans. GE 2011 killed it. The rather dramatic public display of contrition, humility and goodwill, so at odds with the PAP’s usual implacability, might have been initially used as an election ruse, but through its instant spread among the PAP campaigners, its urgency of tone and consequent high public visibility, it quickly took on the character of a serious compact with the people, from which there could be no turning back. Indeed, it had a momentum all its own, for in his speech after the election results, the Prime Minister saw fit to reiterate the humble promise to serve the people better. It is expected that in the coming days, his PAP colleagues would echo the same placatory message.

Only a temporary aberration of the PAP style that would assert itself once again after GE 2011 fever has died down? Not likely. Neither the people nor the opposition would allow that. For by now, this promise must have sunk enough in the minds of a newly defiant electorate for them to protest as soon as they see it is not being kept. Again, a newly emboldened opposition will want to use it opportunistically in parliamentary debates on PAP policies which they sense to be unpopular with the people. In this connection, it would no longer be easy for the PAP to push through contentious decisions such as the hiking of ministerial and presidential salaries, or to make conciliatory and compromise offers that are merely concessionary, such as the Nominated Member of Parliament scheme, or insultingly tokenistic, such as The Speakers’ Corner. Prediction: the most feared, most infamous instrument of PAP control—the defamation suit against political opponents—will be a thing of the past, fading away with its regular exponent, Lee Kuan Yew.

In short, a newly energized opposition and a newly empowered electorate, two little Davids, have brought Goliath to his knees. It is an amazing psychological victory quite independent of the outcome of GE 2011. This election will indeed be remembered by each of these three groups, as the crossing of some defining line in their political calculations, when each will do some fine recalibrations to their strategies of dealing with each other, in order to improve on their gains or cut down on their losses, as the case may be. GE 2011 may well be the historic reference point against which all will measure their past performance and chart their future course of action.

One very positive outcome may be that, past the rhetoric and the acrimonies, the triumphs and the bitterness of GE 2011, all three groups, whatever their individual stance, will be ultimately committed to the overriding goal of the society’s good as a whole. This will have the happy result of a convergence of interests and a unity of purpose, something of a rarity, but still achievable, in Singapore politics. This, for me, will be the most significant outcome of GE 2011. Beside it, the actual votes-count and the official taking up of positions to form a new Parliament are only the mechanics of a transformation process that has already begun in the expectations of the people. Along its way, it will see many missteps and misunderstandings, and probably even a return of the rancour of the GE 2011 campaigning. No matter. For the process can only move forward, since the high-sounding public commitment made by the PAP to change itself from within, for the sake of the people, has a sacrosanct quality all its own, making a breach politically costly, morally unacceptable and emotionally unsustainable.

Hence I believe that something once thought unthinkable, is happening in our midst right now—a made-in-Singapore political renaissance or revolution of sorts, that will eventually lead to a maturing of our society and enable it to take its rightful place among the practising democracies in the world. For me, GE 2011 will always be special. For never have I been so glad that I had been proved so wrong on so many counts.

When the time comes.....

2011-05-05T22:53:00.000+08:00

How will we know, in that critical moment what it is that we are required to do? We will know for it will be in our hearts to do that which we have been trained to do from the time we were young. Some times though we forget what it was taught to us, we must struggle to find those things that are buried with in us, buy us.

When the time comes to act how will we act? Will we chose to react to the actions of others or will we take the time to think through our choices and take the one we know to be best for all concerned?

When the time comes and we find our selves in a position to do the greatest good or the greatest harm, how do we know the road we choose is the right one. For some times harm is what needs to happen, for even in doing good we do harm, if we do not choose the right. In life no choice is colored coded for us but is gray. Only training in the ways to know the right will we prevail, just not in the ways we always wish. When we bring the right to light we may seem week and/or petty in what we do, but our redemption will be brought out in the end to all even those who say we are wrong.

I have found that in life to make a choice is to know some one will see it as the wrong one. The choice we make should be the one we have come to though contemplation of what is right and what will be the consequence of that choice. Never have I found my choices to be easy and always have they been made without knowing truly how best to proceed. None the less I have made them and some I have regretted but always have I paid for that choice in some way or the other. I see that some day the full weight of what I have done will come back to me.

When that time comes i know that I will have had the chance to make a mends for all that I have done and if I haven't taken full advantage of that then that weight will rest squarely on my shoulders.

When that time comes I hope that I will have made the choices that will make those who have gone before me proud of what I have done with the teachings which have been passed on to me. In life many things I have done bring shame to me. At times the shame has almost broken me with the sorrow of what I have done. Some how I have manage to make it through. In those times I have asked why? Only to have my eyes look upon another whose lot in life is worse than mine and have done nothing even close to what I have, yet they bear much more than I every could. My strength is not my own. What is mine is my pride and my truly lacking in will to do what is right.

Funny Decals

2011-05-04T22:32:00.003+08:00

2011-04-25T21:12:00.001+08:00

In science it often happens that scientists say, 'You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken,' and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn't happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion.

Of Workout

2011-04-24T11:14:00.000+08:00

Want to look like Rain? The #1 Most Effective Workout Routine for Lazy People

Want to look like Rain? It’s possible, but be ready for a world of hurt.

Introducing … The Prison Workout.

No special equipment, no need for large spaces, quick, effective and can be performed anywhere. There’s no reason not to like the Prison Workout, formulated to keep inmates fit and strong while within the confines of their cell. Besides costing virtually nothing, the Prison Workout is fully portable; all you need is yourself.

Step 1: The Burpee

From a standing position squat down, place your hands flat on the ground and jump your feet back to assume a push-up position. Do a push-up. Jump your legs forward to between your hands then jump up into the air bringing your knees to your chest and your hands into the air over your head. This makes one complete move. Repeat 20 times.

Rev it up: To increase intensity, do descending sets. After 20 repetitions, stop to catch your breath. Then, do 19 burpees. Catch your breath, then do 18.

Watch how to do a burpee here.

This full body workout alone covers most muscles groups, not to mention good cardio exercise.

Step 2: Upper Body - Shoulders, Triceps and Chest

Pushups

These three parts of your upper body go hand to hand. Most upper body exercises you do work out all three areas so don’t worry about variety; be concerned with the load instead. Start with normal pushups and then move into wide arm pushups and finally diamond pushups. When you get comfortable of doing 3 sets of 20 negative slow (that means doing the motion really slow on the way up), get into the inclined and declined pushups mode.

Dips

There is probably nothing even close to being as effective as dips for a chest and tricep workout. Pull two chairs, blocks or anything of similar height to your shoulder length. Press down your palms on both of these platforms and watch your arms break. Make it more challenging by widening the space between your two chairs. Make it even more challenging by adding weight onto your core, like your college textbooks or something equally heavy. 3 sets of max reps or until muscle failure.

Step 3: Core

Prone Bridges

Forget about situps. They’re boring and you’ll never get the correct form anyway. Prone bridges on the other hand, will give you a sick workout with little room for errors. All you need to do is to enter the prone bridge mode and stay there for as long as you can. Looks and sounds easy? Start with 3 sets of 1min.

Inverse Crunches

A little technical but nonetheless just as efficient, inverse crunches are designed as able replacements for situps. If find this too simple, use the proven formula of doing it very, very slowly.

Step 4: Lower Body – Thighs, Calves and Gluts

Squats & Weighted Squats

The basic form of squats is really simple. Stand shoulder length wide and squat until your thighs are parallel to the ground, rise until you move into your original position and repeat many times. Want to wow yourself? Fill two pails full of water, slot a strong metal pole in between the handles and rest the entire contraption on your shoulders, THEN do your squats. It’s easy to get wet under such circumstances so up the fun by punishing yourself for getting wet. Each time you lose water in the pail, you repeat the set until you don’t.

Calf Raises

Stand straight, lift yourself until you’re on your toes and repeat. Calf raises are extremely simple but require a lot of repetitions to see results so work on it continuously until you feel tired. When you feel your calves tiring, congratulations, you’ve just completed your warmup set. Take note of the number of reps and increase that number by 5 progressively. Again, go for 3 sets.

Step 5: Cardio

Jumping Jacks

A really primitive way of sweating yourself out with no space nor equipment is to just jump. Jumping jacks don’t even require a rope so you can’t even throw out the excuse of getting whipped by it. Get 100 reps in and you’ll start panting in no time. Of course you can always push it up to 300 if you’re up to it.

The prison workout routine is probably the best form of exercise for any lazy person out there. No gym, no travelling, no equipment for you to clean. All you need is a piece of space and you’re good to go.

Relationship Myths Busted

2011-04-20T10:49:00.000+08:00

"I can't be in a relationship, I love my family, and I don't want to lose them.

Being in a relationship does not mean you lose touch with your family. If you are with a good person, that person becomes a PART of your family, and perhaps later you will create a family with them of your own.

I don't like relationships, I like to be my own person.

Why can't you be your own person and still be with someone? Once again, if you are with the right person, you will be free to be exactly who you are. Pretending isn't an innate part of relationships, pretending is an innate part of BAD relationships. You should always be free to be yourself. In a relationship, as opposed to in some friendships and dating, there are no boundaries. Friends and dates, and sometimes even family don't know the 'real' you, the you that is there when the work clothes are taken off and the world isn't watching. Your boyfriend/girlfriend or husband/wife, however, knows you, and you can be comfortable with just being free. Your faults, weaknesses, they can know them, and not care, because they love you.

Relationships are no fun. I like to go out and have fun with my friends.

Once you are in a relationship, when you go out to the club with your girls (or boys) you don't have the constant rambling in the back of your mind: "Do I look good? Will someone give me their number tonight? Will anyone ask me for my number tonight? Why are all my friends getting all the attention and not me?!" You can relax and have a good time out at the club, bar, show, restaurant or whatever, because you aren't consciously or subconsciously on the 'hunt' for anyone. There is no rule that says people in relationships can't still have a social life outside of those relationships.

I have dreams that I want to fulfill.

When you are in a unit, your dreams are multiplied! Now you have someone to travel with you across Europe, someone to edit your dissertation papers while you are studying for your doctorate and someone else to share your dreams with.

Relationships - FTW*.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with being single either, just don't unjustly put relationships down."

Of Image

2011-04-17T09:55:00.001+08:00

I could go on a tirade about the obsession with image, but I think I'd probably be wasting my time stating the obvious. We are very much influenced by media, TV, movies, celebrities, magazines...unless you live in a cave, it's impossible not to be touched by this. We end up buying into the media's brand of beauty & the product we purchase is pretty warped. Few of us can achieve the sculpted, perfected bodies of celebrities who spend exorbitant amounts of money on personal trainers, expensive beauty products/treatments, dieticians and a host of medical procedures at their disposal.

We all know it's unrealistic. Yet we still try to achieve that level of "beauty" and look for it in our partners. It's not surprising that young men in my generation and the next are becoming increasingly uncomfortable with their own body image and deal with self esteem issues that were largely unheard of in prior generations. I think any heterosexual man over 45 would be horrified if someone suggested that he wax his chest, but a 25 yr old with his chest already shaved/waxed wouldn't be surprising.

Now that I've doused you with my crackpot theories, I'll issue a challenge, mainly to the women. What is so disgusting about a hairy chest or a man with a beard? Why is the removal of body hair required in order for someone to have sex appeal? As a heterosexual woman, don't you think it the least bit disturbing that you find feminine/boyish looking men more attractive than their non-groomed/burlier counterparts? Lastly, the pressures as women feel to attain a certain image - don't you feel the least bit guilty that you are placing that same burden on men?

A lot of what men have been programmed to think is sexy is based partially on the images they see in porn, partially in how they are wired and partially on what society tells them is "beautiful". 50 years ago the size 14 Marilyn Monroe was considered a sexpot, and today she'd likely be a plus size model struggling for work. In modeling, designers chose super slender women to model their clothing because they wanted people to notice the clothes, not the model, since skinny wasn't considered attractive at the time. Men like Rock Hudson, Steve McQueen, Marlon Brando and Humphrey Bogart dominated the silver screen of the past and they would be told to wax, workout and get plastic surgery were they to be around today.

2011-04-16T10:29:00.000+08:00

Why Women dont talk first...

"It’s a girl thing. We don’t like starting the conversation because we like to feel like you want to talk to us. We like to feel like the wait was worth something. We like feeling like you’ve waited for us like we’ve waited for you. But the number one reason we hate talking first is because we hate to seem needy or clingy. That’s why we’re scared. Because to us, being needy and obsessive just pushes guys away - and no girl wants that."

Of Random thoughts

2011-04-15T22:45:00.000+08:00

Each time a person stands for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he or she sends forth a tiny ripple of hope. And crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance. Few are willing to embrace the disapproval of their fellows, the censure of their colleagues, the wrath of their society. Moral courage is a rarer commodity than bravery in battle or great intelligence. Yet it is the one essential vital quality for those who seek to change a world that yields most painfully to change.

Of Ovi's Birthday

2011-04-12T21:58:00.003+08:00

of SOY'C

2011-04-12T21:35:00.004+08:00

Photos courtesy of foxfoo, more at facebook

Of Pirates

2011-04-05T20:22:00.000+08:00

Of Sucker Punch

2011-04-02T13:58:00.001+08:00

Ok, I finally got to watch it and it blows me away. Before you continue reading, I would want to stress that the below are all SPOILERS! If you had not watched the movie, I strongly suggest you do so before you read on because otherwise, you won't understand what I am talking about anyway.

OK, I think this film is really going to be a cult movie very much like Pulp Fiction and Matrix. Some will not agree, but there are many many deep levels to talk about. First, lets set some terms. I group the reality into 3 levels. The first, being the asylum. The second, the brothel and the third will consist of the 3 other worlds - The Nazis, The Dragon and The Robots. Now, before I go on, I want to talk about the number 5 in SuckerPunch. I read somewhere it took 5 years to cook up the whole SuckerPunch movie and so there are a lot of things in 5s. 5 Heroines, 5 worlds, 5 days to lobotomize, 5 items etc... I think Zack wanted it that way. They could had made 5 level 3 worlds for 5 items, but of course the film would be too long.

So, let me talk about the 5 worlds. The asylum is what we all agree should be the reality. I think the brothel is a world created by Sweet Pea as she mentioned she is the star of the show and then later introduced to BabyDoll. The idea of using music as a therapy is also first applied to Sweet Pea. After BabyDoll was introduced to the brothel, she had her own way to "dance" out the other reality necessary for them to complete their mission. I actually had the thought that BabyDoll was Sweet Pea "Guardien Angel", but I kinda think its Wise Men in the end that was her angel. So, there is a possibility that BabyDoll was nothing more than a split imagination of Sweet Pea, because you will notice that Sweet Pea and BabyDoll has many in common especially the sister relationship.

Back to the remaining 3 worlds. Each of these world represents a conflict, especially if you had watched the 3 animated shorts. The first Nazi worlds is a conflict about the living and the dead. This could had been brought out by the trauma of death of BabyDoll's mother. The second world of the Orcs and Dragon represents a conflict of the religion where the Orcs believe in their "god" - The Dragon and the human denies it. I would interpret it as BabyDoll's blaming that a true "god" did not exist or else all the suffering will not had been rushing to her like a tsunami. In the end, we also see that BabyDoll killed the "god" (Dragon) as a form of denial. The third world of the robots. In the shorts, it was revealed that it was a conflict between the rich and the poor, at least in physical cash. This is probably a result of BabyDoll's father selling her out for money.

After looking at this, I was very inclined to believe that BabyDoll exist and is not part of Sweet Pea imagination, until. I reach the end. After being lobotomized, the movie purposely did not want o reveal BabyDoll's face giving the audience some expectation that it could be of Sweet Pea's instead. Which then would really be a SuckerPunch! But in the end it show that it was of BabyDoll and not Sweet Pea. So maybe BabyDoll did exist.

Now, there is also the never ending question whether Amber, Blondie and Rocket really existed. I guess maybe and maybe not. I did recall seeing a few girls fight in the first scene when BabyDoll was introduced to the theater, but are those girls our heroines? I guess not. But Rocket especially was in many way a shadow of BabyDoll's sister whom she had failed to protect and thus dies in the level 3 world. Their existence however does makes the obtaining of the items much easier to explain. Sweet Pea or BabyDoll would had more trouble getting all those item on them own. The question remains then is, did they really died? Remember in the end, to Dr Gorski, there is only mentioned of her setting a fire and letting one patient (Sweet Pea) escape. I think if 3 patients died, it would be worth mentioning. So I did not think the 3 heroines died. At least not physically. They could had been lobotomized, but it was never mentioned that they faced this fate, especially one scene where it was mentioned to BabyDoll that that's her own problem, not theirs. So, we can simply even imagine they got taken away and isolated and thus could not continue their mission and thus have to die away in the level 2 world. Of course, if we read that these 3 heroines are not even real, then its just fragments of Sweet Pea's or BabyDoll's imagination that died off.

The 5 items was pretty clear, especially the map and the lighter. their purpose was to create the fire that unlock the main door and guide our heroines out. The knife was to defend, but ironically it was used both as a defence and as an attack to obtain the key. The only thing left was the 5th item which was the ultimate sacrifice. If BabyDoll was unreal, it would means that Sweet Pea had to make her final sacrifice to give up her last fragment of imagination before she leaves the asylum. I am more convinced that Sweet Pea did really made the escape in the end. And another segment that supported the fact that BabyDoll was not real was that BabyDoll had to made the last sacrifice to set herself free. In the end, she was lobotomized. One way to explain her getting the freedom is through Sweet Pea. And it seems that the whole thing may had been Sweet Pea imagination because of the Wise Man character. It doesn't make sense for BabyDoll to meet him where the only person that saw him in reality is Sweet Pea at the very end. This could only had been possible is all the other characters were created by Sweet Pea to help herself escape in the end. It was mentioned by Rocket that Sweet Pea came in because of her and that is a suggestion that Sweet Pea is totally sane. Well, but every insane person I met says he or she is not insane. Could this be what Sweet Pea cooks up too?

We all know the whole movie is about Sweet Pea and not BabyDoll as the film suggested throughout, before the end. I guess this was deliberate as well. Well, thats the SuckerPunch (SP=Sweet Pea)! I hope you are not more confused after reading my thoughts. Of course, all the above are only my interpretation.

The Chicken & Duck Story

2011-03-31T22:20:00.001+08:00

The Chicken & The Duck

A newly married couple went for a walk together in a wood.
They were having a wonderful time until they heard a sound in the distance:

"Quack! Quack!"

Wife said: "That must be a chicken"

Husband said: "No, that was a duck"

Wife said: "No, I'm sure that was a chicken"

Husband said with some irritation: "Impossible. Chickens go 'cock-a-doodle-doo', ducks go 'quack quack'. That is a duck"

The sound went "Quack! Quack!" again.

Husband: "See, it IS A DUCK"

Wife: "No dear, I am positive that it is a chicken"

They carried on the debate for a short while and the husband grew impatient and almost raised his voice and the wife was almost in tears.

The husband saw the tears welling up in his wife's eyes and, at last, remembered why he had married her. His face softened and he said gently, "Sorry darling, I think you must be right. That is a chicken".
"Thank you darling," she said and squeezed his hand."Quack! Quack!" came the sound through the woods and they continued their walk together in love.

-------------------------Moral of the story:

Who cares whether it is a chicken or a duck? What was more important was their harmony together, and that they enjoyed their walk.
How many marriages are broken over matters? How many divorces cite "chicken and duck" stuff?When you understand the story, you will remember your priorities.
The marriage (or relationship) is more important than being right about whether it is a duck or chicken. And besides, how many times have we been absolutely sure that we are right, only to find out later than we were in fact totally wrong? Who knows? That could have been a genetically modified chicken made to sound like a duck!

Visual Updates

2011-03-30T21:59:00.004+08:00

my treat over at NEX's Crystal Jade Restaurant

New toy, Real Steel.

2011-03-27T00:33:00.001+08:00

Awarded for taking down terrorist during training exercise~

Of Individualism

2011-03-26T00:12:00.001+08:00

You cannot hide from yourself, no matter how hard you try. The concept of individualism stems from individuality: You have a certain history, personality, physiology, and psychology (and probably a few other "ology"s) that are completely and utterly your own. This combination makes you a unique individual.

Once in a while, you'll find someone who looks a lot like you, or shares the same type of humor, or has the same peculiar talent, but there's no escaping the fact that all of us are individuals, even if you do your best to follow the crowd. It's that whole "no two snow flakes are alike" thing. You are also socially independent enough to think, feel, and act however you see fit, whether you really want to or not.

== The Past ==

Experience is one of the biggest contributors to individualism, and comes from a variety of different occurrences in your everyday life: Learning right from wrong, getting along with siblings, making friends and enemies, learning which foods you don't like, study habits, peer pressure, accepting or rejecting advice, relationships, family, travel - all of these experiences coagulate over time, creating the person you are today, right now.

It doesn't stop, either, because life is constant. You may not feel different tomorrow, or next week, or next year, but you are evolving, adding more to your history. The more experiences you have, the more memories you add to your mental library.

Over time, this personal history is combined with the wisdom you've acquired on certain subjects, and this combination allows you to question why, for instance, you may have been so eager to follow the herd when you were younger. It also lets you question your own tastes, and possibly try a new flavor, visit a new destination, or attempt a new style that may take you further from the huddled masses, but will always transport you towards your own individual likes and dislikes. As we grow older, we learn more about ourselves, sometimes even without trying.

== The Body ==

Another inescapable part of our individuality is our physical being. This is less likely to have an impact, since most of us are born with the same basic bodies. Unfortunately, defects, injuries, and ailments do occur, and sometimes these circumstances are life altering, demanding that we change the way we think about, view, and live our lives. Sometimes these changes are temporary - other times, they stick around.

Having said that, there are plenty of stories about people overcoming (or doing their best to overcome) setbacks, and living relatively productive lives. To see examples of this phenomenon, look up the following names: Mattie Stepanek, Aron Ralston, and Gary Burghoff.

== The Brain ==

The brain is an amazingly complex instrument, of which it's been said that each of us only uses a small percentage. The phrase "untapped potential" comes to mind. We do know enough, however, to realize that each of us, as individuals, will interpret information differently, based on how our brain processes it.

Say you and two friends walk into an art shop and start looking at the paintings. You come upon a detailed oil painting of a ship on the ocean. One friend might view the billowing sails and the cresting waves, imagining the salty air and the wind whipping around them, and wonder what it was like to travel on one of those vessels. Another friend might marvel at the meticulous detail of the picture itself, and simply enjoy how the paint reflects the shop lights, almost bringing a 3D effect to the piece. You, on the other hand, might just get seasick.

Yes, all human brains have the same basic functions, but what helps make us individuals is how our brains interpret what we see, hear, touch, taste, smell, and emotionally feel.

== The Soul ==

There are millions of different personalities out there. Maybe you're on a softball team and another team member constantly drops the ball. Does this tick you off, while others simply brush it off? Perhaps you and your spouse both hear a news story about how a lost dog found its way home. Does you heart go out to the animal, while your better half doesn't give a damn? Maybe you're at a comedy club with a friend, and the guy on stage starts imitating Robert DeNiro. Do you laugh hysterically while your friend just sits, stoically hoping for a joke? Encountering the melting pot of personalities around us is part of what makes life so unpredictable sometimes.

There have been many times when I did not agree with the group I happened to be with, and that was uncomfortable for a long time. Thankfully, I eventually discovered that quite often, it's okay to be different. I found that as long as I was willing to stand up for something I truly believed in, and defend it with confidence and conviction, anyone willing to listen would accept my opinion, and sometimes even agree. Even if they disagreed, showing confidence increased my chances of at least getting respect. That means a lot to many of us frail humans.

== The Point ==

If this makes any sense, all of my blathering about individuality will lead you to the conclusion that individualism is a good thing. There is nothing wrong with advocating and working for the good of the individual. Certainly, it shouldn't be done all the time, as some great achievements and discoveries have been made when working for the collective, but it shouldn't be ignored, either. Individualism allows for basic human rights, encourages healthy (but not volatile) debate, provides varied avenues to follow in pursuit of a common goal, and just makes life more appealing.

If you'd still like to be a sheep, lemming, borg, or some other creature that hardly thinks for itself, I can not stop you. All I'm saying is that individualism, within the confines of the law and society, should be celebrated and embraced by the individual, and given the recognition it deserves by the powers that be.

2011-03-26T00:05:00.000+08:00

I swear I'm surprised by the people who still read my blog. I mean I thought there wouldn't be anyone who check for updates since it's already half dead, but still. I'm thankful for those who still come back to check on this space, even if it's only a handful. :)

Xin Qiang 心墙

2011-03-20T21:22:00.000+08:00

New watch!

2011-03-19T17:54:00.003+08:00

Bought this Solvil et Titus Skeleton watch+ automatic for $500 but I like de design alot!

2011-03-10T23:53:00.001+08:00

Of Story Telling

2011-03-10T22:41:00.001+08:00

Of Life

2011-03-03T22:38:00.000+08:00

People tend to surround themselves with those who have similar thoughts, beliefs, and opinions. We feel so immensely different than our neighbor who has a different religion or political affiliation but are we really so different? Humans all have the innate sense of question. It is why we build, invent, solve problems, and have debates about philosophy or religion: everyone has “How?” engraved in their brains of steel. The “differences” others have cannot penetrate the steel brain… but on the rare occasion where what is different is embraced, a true relationship is formed.

Relationships are what life is based on because everything comes back to a relationship, or a lack of relationship. There is more than one person on Earth for a reason; we are meant to embrace each other and love one another. The most miserable people are alone and the happiest seem to be surrounded by love.

If you have been blessed to witness love between people, you know of the power people can have on one another. When I receive a simple text message or note from a friend, I feel joy because I know someone is thinking about me. I know the connection is alive and real. Any relationship is worth having. It helps you grow as a person. Nature tells us to grow in size, which is why we produce offspring, but we should grow in mind as well. It makes for a better time, a better life. We grow with each other. Negative forces inhibit growth, but with positive people surrounding you, the negative forces cannot exist.

It is beyond me how much we focus on the evils of society. Turn on the news (or any source of media) and immediately feel the explosion of anger, hate, and death. Humans feel power when we hear about tragedy because evil is an entity, but what we need to realize is love is an entity as well and if we would allow it to prevail, evil would have no room to exist. It starts with loving one another. Survival of the fittest is shown in nature but love will be the fittest survivor: we just need to allow it to be.

Of finding love

2011-02-17T00:27:00.001+08:00

I believe myself to be a very passionate person. In fact, for the last couple of years I have actually been actively searching for love. It took me some to realize that I was going about it all wrong.

Love I not something you can look. Too many times have I complicated friendships with members of the opposite sex because I was trying to fall in love with someone, and often a time when you are trying to fall in love you convince yourself that you are in love when in fact it is something quite different.

It is my experience that it is when you stop looking for love that you truly find it. Rather than spending your time trying to win somebody's heart who in the end is not right for you anyway, you really get to know people as they are and not as someone struggling through a relationship that is happening too quickly. Usually when you do find it, it is somewhere where you wouldn't have looked anyway.

To find love, one must have a definition of Love.

Love is a force. A simple, yet complex force indefinable by human nature. But what is it? What is love? Take for instance the attraction between a woman and a man, that is merely lust, but the connection of emotion that makes them a whole body of separate entities is love. But who can explain love? Is it a feeling, just an emotion, or is it a way of living? Do we really love at all, or is it something that our minds trick us into believing? Does love even exist on earth?

The key to finding love is to simply not look for it. If you don't spend your time thinking about it you will eventually find someone who you can fall in love with, and not someone who you simply want to be in love with.

你为什么说谎

2011-02-14T21:25:00.000+08:00

I was there when she sang!

誰說愛情不能做比較

2011-02-13T03:51:00.000+08:00

What women want

2011-02-08T20:04:00.001+08:00

A nice song by Andy Lau..

Of criteria

2011-02-05T03:58:00.000+08:00

Of Reunion

2011-02-04T12:21:00.001+08:00

Of thoughts

2011-01-30T23:59:00.001+08:00

周杰倫 - 一路上有你／分手總要在雨天

2011-01-30T14:00:00.000+08:00

Sam+Michele

2011-01-28T00:51:00.002+08:00

of Sucker Punch

2011-01-23T11:11:00.001+08:00

http://saw3dmovie.com/Poster/

2011-01-18T19:40:00.000+08:00

http://saw3dmovie.com/Poster/

Of Time

2011-01-15T20:00:00.003+08:00

This is my time.

What I want to do If I have a lover ?

2011-01-15T18:14:00.001+08:00

Of Moving on

2011-01-15T18:09:00.002+08:00

Pain and suffering is something that we all experience as a part of life.
Sometimes in life, we think that the only way to get rid of problems or make them less painful is to ignore them and pretend like they’re not even there.
We tend to hid behind our emotions instead of facing them. It’s wrong to hide your emotions and act as if you’re not feeling any pain. When you bottle up all of these feelings of sadness, all the negative thoughts, all the pain, sooner or later these problems will begin to spread inside of you like a deadly disease.

Suddenly you’ll become severely sick, it will eat you up inside, make you feel depressed, and it will suck the life out of you. Finally, you’ll have no more reasons to continue to live, and your only way of getting rid of this unbearable excruciating pain is if you end your life. You’ll isolate yourself from those who love you and your misery will become your worst company. How can you continue to live when you have no reasons to, how can you go on when you don’t even have the energy to breath and what is life without any hope? The tears that you deny, the pain that you hide day by day will make you weak.

When you step out of that fantasy phase...that dream that you’re having where everything is perfect, you’re fine, and everything is what you’ve always wanted and hoped for, you’re going to feel a sharp pain striking your heart. It will ignite through your whole body, you will feel numb and you will no longer have control over your life. You’ll realize that the pain that you’re feeling now is more painful than the pain that you were trying to hide before. Don’t hide your feelings...express them and let them out.

If you have to cry then cry, if you have to scream then scream, these are ways of releasing some of the pain that you’re feeling.

As I bring this to a close, I want everyone to know that when you’re faced with breakups, the death of a loved one, any situation that cause pain and suffering we shouldn’t try to hide our emotions. Experiences are there to give us lessons, to mature us, to mold us into the wonderful individuals that we are today. The pain may seem unbearable, the road to recovery may seem like it’s too far from your reach, time maybe taking too long to heal your pain, just remember if we keep asking, if we keep knocking and if we keep seeking everything in the end will eventually work out for all of us.

Whose line is it?

2011-01-12T23:18:00.001+08:00

funny!

HT Official New Licence Announcement

2011-01-12T22:29:00.002+08:00

重來

2011-01-11T21:12:00.001+08:00

如果能重来，你会怎么选择呢？

of Spec

2011-01-08T17:22:00.001+08:00

The sadness makes me tear.

How Does Cloud Computing Work?

2011-01-07T00:18:00.002+08:00

Cloud computing has been changing how most people use the web and how they store their files. It’s the structure that runs sites like Facebook, Amazon and Twitter and the core that allows us to take advantage of services like Google Docs and Gmail. But how does it work?

Before we dig further into how does cloud computing work, first let’s understand what the term “cloud” refers to. The concept of the cloud has been around for a long time in many different incarnations in the business world. It mostly means a grid of computers serving as a service-oriented architecture to deliver software and data.

Most websites and server-based applications run on particular computers or servers. What differentiates the cloud from the way those are set up is that the cloud utilizes the resources from the computers as a collective virtual computer, where the applications can run independently from particular computer or server configurations. They are basically floating around in a “cloud of resources”, making the hardware less important to how the applications work.

With broadband internet, the need to have the software run on your computer or on a company’s site is becoming less and less essential. A lot of the software that people use nowadays are completely web-based. The cloud takes advantage of that to bring it to the next level.

For example, if you are hosting your website on a local server or from your PC, you must usually select a particular operating system (Windows/Linux/Mac), to determine what software you can run on that particular server. If your site is being hosted in the cloud, there is no need to do that. You can run Windows and Linux programs side by side.

How is that done?

To understand how does cloud computing work, imagine that the cloud consists of layers — mostly the back-end layers and the front-end or user-end layers. The front-end layers are the ones you see and interact with. When you access your email on Gmail for example, you are using software running on the front-end of a cloud. The same is true when you access your Facebook account. The back-end consists of the hardware and the software architecture that fuels the interface you see on the front end.

Because the computers are set up to work together, the applications can take advantage of all that computing power as if they were running on one particular machine. Cloud computing also allows for a lot of flexibility. Depending on the demand, you can increase how much of the cloud resources you use without the need for assigning specific hardware for the job, or just reduce the amount of resources assigned to you when they are not necessary.

Will it change the way we use computers?

The transition from being very ‘personal hardware dependent’ to a world where resources are shared among the masses is creeping up on us slowly and unobtrusively. Very many people have already transitioned to using a cloud environment for most of their time in front of the computer without even realizing it.

Sure, most of us still use some version of Microsoft Office or Quickbooks that was installed on our computers, but even those kinds of software are now offering an online version that can be used instead. The possibility of being able to access your data and software wherever you need it makes this transition very appealing to most people.

Are there problems with this concept? Of course there are. If for some reason your internet goes down, your access to your data also disappears. There are security concerns with the data and the risk that companies will use proprietary formats for the files and that require that you pay for a certain service monthly or you may lose access to your own data permanently.

So choose wisely when picking a service to use with your important data and make sure it can be downloaded if needed, but also enjoy the flexibility those services provide. The wave of the future is in the clouds…

What cloud services are currently part of your life?

不倒翁的精神

2011-01-06T23:35:00.006+08:00

有人说，我们要多写心情日记，原来不以为然，现在自己也在做这样的事情，只是当回首去看这些日记的时候，心中总是会有很多的感动！

听一位老师讲了成功的十一大因素，其它因素很多朋友肯定也都知道；但大家知道成功的第一大因素吗，那就是自信；其实人人都有自信，只是有的人自信自己不成功；而有的人自信心我一定会成功；选择的信念不同，结果自然也就不同；

而不倒翁是我们每个人都熟悉的，很多朋友可能也玩过，那么从小小的不倒翁不知道朋友们有没有悟处点什么来呢；小时候看，觉得好玩，怎么不会倒呢？疑惑，不过，确很少去研究原因；长大点，在去观察，好像它的重心比较低，也没有细细想；昨天，一位老师讲的，让我重新去认识和了解了不倒翁；他说：“不知道你们有没有发觉，不管是美国的不翁，中国的或者其它国家的，他们可能在材质上面或者在制作的包装等方面有所不同，但是有一点是相同的，那就是所有的不倒翁都是微笑着的；那是自信的微笑，突然惊喜，是呀，以前有发觉只是没有悟到很多，如果一个人能永远信不倒翁一样始终保持自信的微笑，他（她）的人生一定是非常丰富和多彩的；

其二，它不倒是因为他的重心比较低，这个以前知道可没有细细想过，他下面是不是比上面要重了，也就是说下面的比较稳，好比是地基，人的基础非常的重要；但很多时候包括星辰在内大家好像觉得基础的东西比较简单，反正都了解或者都懂；所以不重视，今天不倒翁的不倒让星辰也看到了，基础扎实是多么的重要，所以那一刻我告诉自己，我要像不倒翁一样永远保持最真的微笑，原来微笑是那么的简单和美好；重视基础课程，其实老师讲的已经超过了课本的东西，他在教我们做人的道理，对生活的态度；

我知道以后要怎样更好的去面对；自己也会像不倒翁一样永远露出自信的微笑：））祝愿大家在以后的生活中都能永远自信的微笑，拥有不倒翁的精神！

Of Friendship

2011-01-06T19:12:00.000+08:00

What is friendship?

The tie that links the intangible heart of one person to another. It is a relationship build on the genuine sincerity of those parties involved.

True friendship is NOT a relationship of dependence, but of independence. It is the enduring bond that connects self-reliant individuals, comrades who share the same commitment on a spiritual dimension.

What if people change?

Others may change but I will stay who I am. It is important to walk your own path, believing in yourself. If you remain constant and stay true to yourself, others will definitely come to understand your sincere intent one day.

People of conviction, people who stand alone, people who pursue their chosen path—Not only are such people good and trustworthy friends themselves but they can make genuine friends of others.

Of Audrey Hepburn's Poem

2011-01-05T10:53:00.002+08:00

For attractive lips,
speak words of kindness.

For lovely eyes,
seek out the good in people.

For a slim figure,
share your food with the hungry.

For beautiful hair,
let a child run his/her fingers through it once a day.

For poise,
walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.

People, even more than things,
have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed,
and redeemed; never throw out anyone.

Remember, if you ever need a helping hand,
you will find one at the end of each of your arms.

As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands;
one for helping yourself, and the other for helping others.

Of Inspiration

2011-01-04T19:02:00.001+08:00

People and their experiences inspire me. How they get through their own personal hardship during the really tough times is the true measure of a man or women. Life has a number of stumbling blocks and obstacles that are constantly being thrown in our paths! Anyone can sail along when things are going good, but when the chips are down the true character comes shining through.I am inspired by many different people. My parents have inspired me the most, and I draw a tremendous amount of inspiration from my father. His ability to meet difficulties head-on and confront his fears drive me to confront mine. When I am in trouble, I imagine what he would do in certain circumstances and draw my inspiration from him.

Next is my mother. Her ability to find joy and balance in many of life's issues always inspires me. Her ability to juggle many things at the same time always inspires me. The insight I have gained through her is priceless. I am so glad I paid attention to her enough to see how life's difficulties are to be dealt with and I never have failed to be inspired by her.

Doing it the way you want, not the way you are told is a great lesson to learn and digest.

There are many others that have inspired me, and some that are waiting to inspire me. But one ultimately must inspire themselves.

Hanabi, 2011

2011-01-01T13:15:00.001+08:00

Awaiting for my Rapunzel

2010-12-31T21:12:00.000+08:00

And I know she's out there somewhere..

When Will My Life Begin?

2010-12-30T20:53:00.000+08:00

Seven a.m., the usual morning line-up (B / E)
Ready for class, the weather forecast is clear (B / E)
Head to the bus with coffee and cream in my cup (C / G)
As I wait, I know I'm late (B / E/G#)
Nothing's changing this year (F#m / B)
But I will do my work (E / A)
Yes I will persevere (F#m / E)
They tell me there's a reason (C#m / F#7)
For my coming here (A / E)
And as I reach for something (C#m / F#7)
That is still unclear (A / B / C#m)
I wonder, when will my life begin? (F#7 / B / E)

Don't get me wrong, it's all with a song in my heart
I love to learn, these pages I'll turn with cheer
But I sure hope that one day I can do my part
Working for something more
Than my hopes and my fears
And I am not alone
Yes, I have company
I have my friends and family who will walk with me
And hopef'lly we'll admit we are all desperately
Just wond'ring, when will my life begin?

And there must be more than (F#m)
What I know in my head (G#m / A)
Of that I'm sure (C#m / B / F#m)
I am waiting on a train that's already left ((F#m) / G#m / A)
Am I on board? (B)

And I can't just wait
For all the dust to clear
That dust is part of me
Real life is happening here
And we are all just dust
But even dust is dear
And questions help us begin again

And I am not alone
Yes, I have company
I have my friends and family who will walk with me
And maybe we'll admit we are all desperately
Just wond'ring
When will my life begin? (F#7 / B / C#m / B / F#7)
When will my life begin? (A / B / C#m / B / F#7)
Oh, let me begin (A / B)
Again (E / B / C#m / B / F#7 / A / B / E)

Super Cute Bloody Bear Arm Plush

2010-12-28T20:45:00.001+08:00

I wanna get one! and it's only $40~

Of Qx & HM's Wedding~

2010-12-28T20:20:00.001+08:00

Xmas 2010

2010-12-26T21:20:00.000+08:00

Of True Love

2010-12-23T23:11:00.002+08:00

True love is simply unconditional love. Unconditional love is love without conditions, without rules, without expectations, without judgment, without ego.

We are humans and we complicate things. We have been through difficult times and difficult relationships. Sometimes we are hurt and, as long as we can learn from our mistakes and move on, everything will be alright in the long run. But we are human and we complicate things. We complicate love and its meanings. We also misuse the word.

A human may tell you that he will love you, if you change this one little thing. The one little thing becomes another little thing and another, until you find you are not the person you once were, all in the attempt to be loved. Why did that other human say he loved you, if really he wanted to change you? It is a complicated version of love that he has learned in his life. He feels that you should show love in a certain way, act a certain way, fit into certain roles that you cannot if you want to be true to yourself. Is that then true love? He will say it is.

Love with expectations cannot be true love.

The word love is also often misused. It can be used as an apology, an excuse, or as begging. How many times have you heard, "but, I love you!" Is this true love?

Unconditional love must first occur within yourself. You must be able to love yourself as you are, as you feel, as you believe, before you are able to share this unconditional love with another. You have to be strong in your love of self to be able to tell whether you are receiving true love from another. You have to learn to respect your own boundaries of what is good and right.

Look at your pets. They love you. Period. They love how you smell, they love what you do, what you eat, and how you do it. They want to be in the bedroom with you, in the bathroom with you, they want to walk down the hall with you. They still love you if you need to be alone for a little while. They love you when they are taking a nap, then they'll wake up for a little while and come and find you to make sure you are still alright. This is unconditional love. Pets do not judge you or expect anything from you. Pets do not have ego. They simply exist in the moment, ready to love and be loved.

True love exists within Spirit, within yourself, within your pets, and within other humans in your life. True unconditional love is beautiful and freeing.

Of updates

2010-12-20T19:15:00.001+08:00

Tonight is a night of many many thoughts and feelings. There is always so much I want to say but it's really difficult to put in words. Life has it's complications and everything you do has it's own effect.

Of Books

2010-12-17T00:07:00.000+08:00

A book is a doorway to anywhere in the world and even the universe. Since I was able to read at about age five, books have provided thousands of hours of pure pleasure. What could be better than getting lost in the stories of people since time began, whether the characters and their worlds be likable, horrible, weird or just ordinary?

My idea of a great afternoon is sitting in the sun with a good book. A new and different world opens up as you wander leisurely or rocket down the pathways of a story. You might find yourself in World War II or far in the future, with favourite characters or ones that are easy to loathe. The best part is not knowing what might come next. For me a writer’s ability to keep you guessing and provide some unexpected surprises is the hallmark of a great read.

I don’t mind what genre a book is, I have and will read almost anything. My methodology for selecting books at the library is to browse the shelves and collect half a dozen assorted titles though I am guilty of taking a sneak preview to ensure I enjoy the author’s style. Then when I read a book, my own imagination takes over and colours the worlds I read about, thus personalising each one. I understand why it is very difficult for a filmmaker to come up with a universally satisfying production of a popular book because so many readers would find the film does not necessarily agree with their own mental vision of the book.

Of course your tastes change with time. Some books can appeal to a wide range of age groups, the Harry Potter series being an example of books that both children and adults can enjoy. I had a strong affinity for science fiction during high school as I found it a great antidote to the often depressing required reading curriculum. It still puzzles me why it is that happy stories are rarely considered to be great fiction, although they are at times best sellers.

Like everyone else, I have often wondered about the characters of the authors. Is their writing a reflection of who they are, what they have experienced and their views on the world, whether sunlit or stormy? Or are they able to envisage whole new worlds, simply from their imaginations without reference to reality? I sometimes feel that I know something of the writers whose books I read but that is like saying that I know the people I work with because I know their work.

Often I have a mental picture of people all over the world busy writing, formulating their contribution to the world’s literary efforts whether on paper or online. What new worlds and characters are floating around the minds of every budding author, waiting to be grasped and transformed into a book for the rest of us to enjoy? However many there are, it’s reassuring to know that the books will keep arriving.

Of gifts (part 2)

2010-12-13T22:29:00.000+08:00

Which gift is for who?

Of Gifts

2010-12-13T22:00:00.003+08:00

Miguel went the Forbidden City & got me my favorite read! Scroll text of Art of War from Sun tzu!Now i have multiple versions of this! Chinese ver, english ver & traditional text ver!

Thank you mig!

Save the date

2010-12-13T21:25:00.002+08:00

2010-12-10T19:18:00.001+08:00

People tend to compare themselves to others. Of course, it is important to try to learn from other’s good traits. But it’s petty to envy what appears to be their happiness and good fortune. Nothing comes of that. Those who focus on polishing themselves and living with a sense of purpose are the victors in life. Please engrave this point deeply in your hearts.

Of Sharing

2010-12-07T19:08:00.000+08:00

A truly great person is a friend to those in suffering, pain and misery.

Study should be for the purpose of finding a way to help those suffering.

Effort and hard work construct the bridge that connects your dreams to reality. Those who make steady efforts are filled with hope. And hope, in turn, arises from steady efforts. Embrace your dreams and advance as far as they can carry you. That is the hallmark of youth.

Without hardship, you can’t hope to build great character. Our character is determined by how we challenge ourselves, how hard we try, and how we go about grappling with the problems that confront us-while staying true to ourselves. This is how character is polished, like a diamond. The only way is to forge and strengthen ourselves to the best of our abilities, to persist tenaciously amid difficulties we may encounter.

Of Romance & Philosophy

evolution

Translation: three solutions for every problem; accept it, change it, leave it. If you can't accept it, try changing it, if you can't change it, leave it.

Of sleep and dreams

别让生活有 太多遗憾..

Of Time

Silence

别问

Addressing the weak spots

Personal philosophy

7 principles of design

For Steve.

Protect Your Data From Target Disk Mode Security Risks [OS X Tips]

A guide to speeding/tuning up OSX

dead island mechanic glitch

龔柯允 - 太傻

OS X Defragment

Shaolin Jedi

Bali Wedding Chapel

Cher - You Haven't Seen the Last of Me

Sunday Brunch

你是我的女人 - 劉德華 (Cover by Robynn and Kendy)

random musing

慢慢等

Pre-Birthday Celeb from Everyone!

Top 10 reasons why happiness at work is the ultimate productivity booster

The upshot

Top 5 reasons why “The Customer Is Always Right” is wrong

PS I Love You

EOS LENS @ $12 per pair

Of Kai : MGS Grey Fox

Of GE 2011

When the time comes.....

Funny Decals

Of Workout

Want to look like Rain? The #1 Most Effective Workout Routine for Lazy People

Relationship Myths Busted

Of Image

Why Women dont talk first...

Of Random thoughts

Of Ovi's Birthday

of SOY'C

Of Pirates

Of Sucker Punch

The Chicken & Duck Story

Visual Updates

Of Individualism

Xin Qiang 心墙

New watch!

Of Story Telling

Of Life

Of finding love

你为什么说谎

誰說愛情不能做比較

What women want

Of criteria

Of Reunion

Of thoughts

周杰倫 - 一路上有你／分手總要在雨天

Sam+Michele

of Sucker Punch

http://saw3dmovie.com/Poster/

Of Time

What I want to do If I have a lover ?

Of Moving on

Whose line is it?

HT Official New Licence Announcement

重來

of Spec

How Does Cloud Computing Work?

How is that done?

Will it change the way we use computers?

不倒翁的精神

Of Friendship

Of Audrey Hepburn's Poem

Of Inspiration

Hanabi, 2011

Awaiting for my Rapunzel

When Will My Life Begin?

Super Cute Bloody Bear Arm Plush

别让生活有太多遗憾..